Lighter



March 18, 1952 W, WAGNER 2,589,906

LIGHTER l Filed June 7, 195o Patented Mar. 18, 1952 LIGHTER Willard F.Wagner, Detroit, Mich., assgnor of one-half to Mich.

Charles W. Glenn, Centerline,

Application J une 7, 1950, Serial N 0. 166,587

3 Claims.

.This invention relates to lighters and particularly to an improvedpocket lighter wherein a pressure lever forms one of the side walls ofthe lighter casing.

An important object of the invention is to provide an improved lighterconstructed of few parts and arranged so that the parts may be quicklyassembled and disassembled Without difficulty. Another important objectof the invention is to provide an improved lighter in which the movingparts are mounted in aconnected train and are capable of being installedin the lighter casing and removed therefrom as a unit. A furtherimportant object of the invention is to provide a lighter including adepressible pressure lever forming a part of the casing wall which ismounted in a novel manner for combined pivotal and slidable movementrelative to the casing.

In carrying out the invention, the casing of the lighter is providedwith an opening in the upper end thereof and a second opening in a sidewall portion thereof. An important feature of the invention is themanner in which the moving parts of the device are capable of beinginstalled in the casing and removing therefrom as a unit and theemployment of a single pin for retaining the moving parts within thecasing. Another important feature of theinvention is the construction ofthe pressure lever and particularly the provision of similarly shapedside arms rigidly and integrally connected to the upper end of the leverfor swinging the friction wheel carrier between its opening and closingpositions. A further important feature of the invention is a bearingsupport which not only provides a combined rocking and sliding movementto the lever but also serves as a xed mounting for one end of a springmember which functions to return the parts to normal inoperativeposition.

Various other objects, advantages and meritorlous features of theinvention will become more fully apparent from the followingspecification, appended claims and accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig, 1 is an exploded perspective View of the parts of the lighter; I

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a partially assembled position ofthe parts;

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the completed assembly of the partsshowing the lighter in closed position;

Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal vsectional View through the lightershowing the parts in lighter open position; and

Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the lightershowing the parts in lighter closed position.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing comprises ahollow body or casing I0 having the relatively iiat horizontal'elongatedconstruction illustrated in the perspective views of Figs. 1, 2 and 3.The casing I0 is provided with a short top wall portion I2 extendingfrom approximately a quarter of the length of the upper end of thecasing, the balance of the upper Yend being opened and forming anaperture It. The casing is also provided with a side opening aperture I6located in the narrow side wall thereof opposite to the aperture I2. Theaperture is arcuately recessed into the larger side wall portions of thecasing in order to receive the' fingers of the hand depressing thelever. The casing may be further provided with a narrow slot I8 in eachof the larger side wall portions which open into the flame emitting areaof the lighter. The larger side wall portions of the casing are furtherprovided with small aligned holes 20-20 in which the ends of atransverse pin are received as hereinafter described. Y

The moving parts of the device comprise in general a friction wheelcarrier generally indicated at 22 and a pressure lever generally'indicated at 24. The friction Wheel carrier is formed by a at platemember 26 having its dimension so proportioned that it may lie whollywithin the opening I2 of the casing in substantially ush relationship tothe top wall portion I4 thereof, as shown in Fig. 3. Dependingdownwardly from one end of the plate 26 is a snuier cap 28. Dependingdownwardly from the opposite end of the plate 26 are a pairof generallycircularly shaped ears 30-30 which are arranged in parallel spaced apartrelationship relative to one another and are provided with aligned holes32. Carried between the ears 30--30 is an assembly of parts forproducing sparks for igniting the wick. These parts are generallynsimilar to spark producing mechanisms of conventional lighters andinclude a. friction wheel 34, a pin 36 which extends through theVfriction Wheel, and a plate member 38 shaped to engage a ratchet '40 onone side of the friction wheel a-nd provide a one-way drive therefor. Inmounted position, the elements of the spark'producing mechanism arearranged side by side on the pin L36,and between two ears 30-30. L

The pressure lever 24 is channel shaped in cross section and in mountedposition has its convex surface disposed outwardly so that the sidewalls 42-42 thereof project inwardly toward the interior of the casing.The upper end of the lever is provided with two similarly shapedparallel extending arms 44-44 which project inwardly ofthe lever and atan upward inclination as s'hown in Figs. 4 and 5. An important featureof the invention contributing to its economy of manufacture is theintegral connection of the arms 44-44 to the lever 24. As shown, thesearms form integral extensions of the side walls 42-42 of the lever andare capable of being formed in a simple stamping operation.

The extremities of the arms d4-44 of the pressure lever are pivotallyconnected to the fr1ction wheel carrier to provide rotative movementthereof upon depression of the lever. This is accomplished byoverlapping the extremities of the arms upon the ears 3-30 in the mannershown in Figs. 1 and 2 and pivotally connecting the arms to the ears bymeans of small pins 46-46 which are parallel to and spaced from the axisof the pin B.

The lower end of the pressure lever 24 is mounted in the casing for acombined rocking and sliding movement. For this purpose the lower endportions of the side walls dfi-e2 of tre pressure lever are crosesd by apin 58. Secured to the bottom 55 of the casing, as shown in Figs. 4 and5, there is provided a bearing for receiving the pin 48 which isconstructed to permit the lever to rock on the pins axis and to shiftvertically up and down relative to the casing. The bearing comprises aU-shaped member 5i! having its closed end secured by means of a screw 55or the like to the bottom 53 of the casing. In the assembled position ofthe parts the cross pin 48 is received between the vertical extendingarms of the bearing and is capable of slidable movement up and downtherein, as shown by a comparison of Figs. 4 and 5.

The depressible movement of the lever is opposed by resilient means inthe form of a flexible metal blade 58. The blade extends in asubstantially vertical direction and its upper end is shaped to carry aroller 6l), as shown in Fig. 1. To reduce the number of parts and toexpedite vthe assembled operation, the lower end of the blade 58 is bentoutwardly and secured to the casing by interposition between the bearing5B and the bottom of the casing. The screw 55 which serves to secure thebearing in place extends through the lower end of theY blade and intightened condition causes the bearing Ato clamp the blade against thebottom 50, as is clearly evident in Figs. 4 and 5. The balance of theblade above its point of securement normally inclines outwardly to exerta yielding outward pressure against the base of the channel of the lever24. The resilient pressure exerted by the spring blade is suicient tomove the lever to its substantially flush position shown' in Fig. 5 andto rock the friction wheel carrier to closed position.

The device is completed by an assembly of parts generally similar toconventional parts of Aa lighter. A receptacle is preferably formed by asingle strip of metal E2 bent intermediate its ends and arranged so thatone end portion thereof extends vertically and the other end portionthereof extends horizontally in the casing as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.This single strip of metal cooperates with the adjacent side and endwall portions of the .casing to form a closed Vchamber yfor containingabsorbent material, 'such as cotton 64. A wick 66 is imbedded in thecotton and rises upwardly through an opening in the horizontal portionof the metal strip and into a wick guide 68 as in conventional lighterconstruction. In the closed position of the parts the snuffer cap abutsthe wick guide as shown in Fig. 5.

The assembly also comprises a pyrophoric element 'I3 which is yieldinglyurged against the under side of the friction wheel 34 by means of a coilspring 80. As in conventional constructions, the coil spring is mountedin an elongated tube 32 opening out through the bottom 50 of the casingand extending upwardly therefrom to a point'immediately adjacent to theunder side of the friction wheel. The lower end of the tube 82 is closedby a removable cap 84 which is secured to and serves as a seat for thespring 80.

What I claim is:

1. A pocket lighter comprising, in combination, a relatively nat casinghaving an opening through the upper end thereof and a second openingthrough one wall thereof, a cap for closing the upper end opening of thecasing, a 'friction wheel carrier rigidly secured to the underside ofthe cap and depending downwardly therefrom in the closed positionthereof, a lever of channel-shaped cross section in the interior of thecasing positioned lengthwise across the side wall opening of the casing,the channel formation of th lever opening inwardly of the casing andhaving its longitudinal side wall sections slidably intertting with theadjacent side wall yportions of the casing to completely close theopening across which it extends, a pair of similarly shaped arms formingintegral extensions of the side wall sections of the lever andprojecting inwardly and upwardly from the upper end of the lever, theupper ends of the arms straddlingly overlapping upon the carrier andbeing pivotally connected,thereto about a common transversely extendingaxis, a cross pin on the lower end of the lever bridging the spacebetween the side wall sections of the channel formation thereof, anupwardly opening U-shaped bearing secured to the bottom of the casingadjacent the side wall opening thereof and receiving the cross pin toprovide both a rocking and sliding movement of the lever relative to thecasing, said cap, carrier and lever forming a permanently connectedtrain of elements removable from and insertable into the casing as aunit through the upper end opening thereof, and a transverse shaftextending through the carrier in parallel offset relation vto saidpivotal axis `and being detachably engaged in openings in opposite sidewalls of the casing, said shaft serving as a pivotal mounting for saidcarrier andas the sole means for retaining said train of lements in thecasing and providing removal of the train as -a unit upon detachmentthereof. l'

2. A pocket lighter comprising, in combination, a relatively flat casinghaving-an opening through the upper end thereof and an opening throughone wall thereof, a cap for closing the upper -end opening of the case,a friction wheel carrier rigidly secured to the under side of the capand depending downwardly therefrom in the closed position thereof, alever of channel-shaped cross section in the interior of the casingpositioned lengthwise across theside wallopening of the casing, thechannel formation of the lever opening inwardly of the casing and havingits longitudinal side wall sections slidably interfitting with theadjacent side wall portions of the casing to completely close theopening V'across'which it extends, a pair of similarly shaped armsforming integral extensions of the side wall sections of the lever andprojecting inwardly and upwardly from the upper en d of the lever, theupper ends of the arms straddlingly overlapping upon the carrier andbeing pivotally connected thereto about a common transversely extendingaxis, a cross pin on thelower end of-the lever bridging the spacebetween the side wall sections of its channel formation, an upwardlyopening U- shaped bearing secured to the bottom of the casing adjacentto the side wall opening thereof and ing and sliding movement of thelever relative to the casing, anda spring blade having one end xed byinterposition between the bearing and the bottom of the casing, saidblade extending tertting with the adjacent side wall portions armsforming integral extensions of the side wall ysections of the lever andprojecting at an inward and 'upward inclination from the upper end ofupwardly from'its xed end between the side Wall sections of the leverand having its upper end engaging the lever to exert a yielding pressureon the lever tending to rock the same outwardly relative to the casing.

3. A pocket lighter comprising, in combination, a relatively at casinghaving an opening through the upper end thereof and a second openingythrough one side wall thereof, a cap for closing ing of the casing, thechannel formation of the l lever opening inwardly .of the casing andhaving its longitudinal side Wall sections slidably lnthe lever, theupper ends of the arms straddlingly overlapping upon the carrier andbeing pivotally connected thereto about a common transversely extendingaxis, said cap, carrier and lever forming a permanently connected trainof ele- Y ments insertable'into and extractable from the receiving thecrosspin to provide both a rockcasing as a unit through the upper endthereof,

` anda transverse shaft extending through the carrier in parallel oisetrelation to said pivotal axis and being engaged in openings in theopposite side walls of the casing, said shaft serving as a pivotalmounting for the carrier and as the sole means for retaining said trainof elements in the casing and being removable to permit extraction ofthe train as a unit from the casing.

WILLARD F. WAGNER.

REFERENCES CITED 'The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,896,140 Kaufmann Feb. 7, 19382,107,372 Edenburg Feb. 8; 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS vNumber Country Date 1

